Red Rum Club - “Drown”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…Sam Fender, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Of Monsters & Men

The sounds of summer beam off of Red Rum Club’s third full-length How To Steal The World, bright melodies and hooks leading the heartwarming indie-rock record. The Liverpool six-piece are unafraid of joy, combining life-affirming lyrics with upbeat grooves to produce memorable, tightly crafted soul rock tracks. Classic R&B influences play a key role in Red Rum Club’s sound as well, both in the chilled-funk grooves of a track like “Vibrate” and the horn section that consistently accompanies the band’s choruses and jams. In serious times, the ‘fun’ really stands out in Red Rum Club’s approach, reinventing 70s and 80s pop forms and unapologetic in their sugary commitment to the craft - see tropicalia, yacht-rock number “Nightcalling” for their all-in commitment being blown out with a knowing wink. (Kevin McStravick)